'Welsh Tales of Terror' (188 pp) was published by Fontana Books (U.K.) in 1975. The artist who provided the striking cover illustration is Justin Todd.
This is one of a large number of horror anthologies published by Fontana Books in the 1970s that focused on particular countries or geographical areas, such as Cornish Tales of Terror, Irish Tales of Terror, London Tales of Terror, Oriental Tales of Terror, etc. These anthologies almost exclusively relied on stories in the public domain for much of their content.
'Welsh Tales of Terror' features short stories (all, save R. Chetwynd-Hayes's entry, were previously published) as well as brief, half-page or one-page myths and legends originally collected in books devoted to Welsh folklore.
Readers of this anthology will need to be prepared to negotiate the at-times indecipherable, vowel-less nature of many Welsh words and phrases. That said, the stories in this collection all are effective in providing the reader with an atmospheric portrayal of the landscapes, customs, and peoples of Wales.
Rather than critique each story in this anthology, I'll simply list the best of the entries. Glyn Jones's 'Jordan', about two con men who make the acquaintance of a sinister character, stands out, as does the low-key, but creepy, 'A Cry of Children' by John Christopher.
Wales's own literary giant, Arthur Machen, is represented by his 1895 story 'The Shining Pyramid'. Also visiting the theme of a hidden dimension or realm co-existing with contemporary Wales is Richard Bridgeman's 'The Morgan Trust'. Angus Wilson's 'Animals or Human Beings' has the black humor of a Roald Dahl story.
'Black Goddess', by Jack Griffith, takes the quintessentially Welsh occupation of coal miner and weaves in a ghost story; it's one of the better entries in the anthology. Also worth reading is R. Chetwynd-Hayes's 'Lord Dunwilliam and the Cwm Annwn', which pits a arrogant aristocrat against a menacing figure of ancient Welsh legend.
The remaining modern-day stories are not so much horror tales, as they are fantasy tales or fables. I found them to be rather underwhelming compared to the genuine legends and myths from Welsh folklore that are scattered throughout the pages of 'Welsh Tales of Terror'.
Summing up, those with a fondness for 'Old School' horror anthologies might want to collect a copy of 'Welsh Tales of Terror'. But if you're someone more conditioned to imbibe Paperbacks from Hell, then I suspect you'll not find this anthology all that exciting.
.jpg)
